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ALS Work Using Microscopy/Imaging

These techniques use the light-source beam to obtain pictures with fine spatial resolution of the samples under study and are used in diverse research areas such as cell biology, lithography, infrared microscopy, radiology, and x-ray tomography.

 

Strategies for Reducing Platinum Waste in Fuel Cells

Industry and university researchers used the ALS to explore why the platinum used as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells degrades unevenly. The resulting knowledge has enabled the development of simple, effective strategies to reduce the waste of precious catalyst material, lowering the costs associated with a promising green technology. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

3D View Reveals Shadow Effect after Rapid Battery Charging

Using 3D x-ray microtomography, researchers measured the lithiation levels of particles in Li-ion battery electrodes during charging. At faster charging rates, lithium metal accumulated on the electrode surface and created a “shadow effect,” a region of poor lithiation in the electrode at some distance away from the lithium plating. Read more »

Machine-Learning Team Receives 2021 Halbach Award

This year’s Halbach Award for Innovative Instrumentation at the ALS went to a team of accelerator physicists and computer scientists who were able to use machine-learning techniques to solve a problem that has plagued third-generation light sources for a long time: fluctuations in beam size due to the motion of insertion devices. Read more »

Autonomous Data Acquisition for Scientific Discovery

Researchers at large scientific facilities such as the ALS have applied a robust machine-learning technique to automatically optimize data gathering for a variety of experimental techniques. The work promises to enable experiments with large, complex datasets to be run more quickly, efficiently, and with minimal human intervention. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

A Multiscale Picture of Oxygen Loss in Battery Electrodes

In lithium-ion batteries, oxygen atoms leak out of electrode particles as the lithium moves back and forth between electrodes. Now, researchers have measured this process at multiple length scales, showing how the oxygen loss changes the electrode’s structure and chemistry, gradually reducing the amount of energy it can store. Read more »

In a Hawaiian Lava Fountain, Fluid Magma Turns Brittle

Compared to the violent explosions of Mount Vesuvius or Mount St. Helens, Hawaiian volcanic eruptions are relatively calm, characterized by flowing rivers and fountains of lava. Here, researchers have discovered that even low-viscosity magma sometimes behaves more like brittle glass that shatters into fine particles. Read more »

Nanoscale Metallic Particles Detected in Brain Tissue

Researchers detected nanoscale deposits of elemental copper and iron in brain tissues isolated from Alzheimer’s disease subjects. The discovery suggests new directions of study to determine the role that elemental metals might play in neurochemistry, neurobiology, and the development of neurodegenerative disease. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

EPSCoR Collaboration Fosters New Research and New Careers

The DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) encourages partnerships between national labs and researchers in qualifying states and territories. An EPSCoR collaboration with researchers from Kentucky has resulted in an ALS highlight, career advancement for young scientists, and a larger, center-scale proposal. Read more »

Artificial Spin Ice Toggles Twist in X-Ray Beams on Demand

ALS studies helped scientists understand how a nanoscale magnetic lattice (an artificial spin ice) acts as a toggle switch for x-ray beams with spiral character. The findings represent an important step toward the development of a versatile new tool for probing or controlling exotic phenomena in electronic and magnetic systems. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35